Youth Funeral / Ittō

Mike and I recently had the pleasure of playing a few shows with Ittõ and Capacities as part of a few day tour with Youth Funeral. I've uploaded some videos and photos from the final show of this jaunt.

Perspective, a Lovely Hand to Hold


Chalk Li


Youth Funeral


Ittō




Lovechild

Show Update

Facebook event can be found here. Roosevelt recently remixed and remastered their newest album so be sure to give it a listen below. 

Show Update

Some cool shows happening this week. Tonight, Choke Up, Bedroom Eyes, and Onslo are playing, with an art exhibit by Chelsea Mae. Choke Up is an excellent punk band that calls to mind a more aggressive The Lawrence Arms while Bedroom Eyes, a band I've talked about on here before, plays dreamy and thick shoegaze. Unfamiliar with Onslo but this should be a great show no matter what. Check out the Facebook event for more information.

(Flyer by Chelsea Mae)

Next, there's a completely stacked show happening this Saturday in Derry, NH. Armando, the guitarist of the short-lived emo band Athletes., will be opening with a solo set, followed by No Guidance sweethearts Youth Funeral and Chalk Li. I know nothing about Riis but Roosevelt and Notches both recently put out excellent new EPs (expect posts about those soon) and Machete will hopefully be playing some jams from the LP they just recorded. Waller is an interesting and noisy screamo band from Philadelphia (?) and I'm very excited to see them. Check out the Facebook event for more information.

Show Update: Open mic, Rick Rude, Metal music, Art show, and more

Brewbakers, a small, homey coffee shop in Keene, NH, is having an acoustic open-mic tomorrow, Wednesday, December 4th.

That same night, Rick Rude is playing a set at Sonny's Tavern in Dover, NH.A self-described "slacker rock" band, Rick Rude should appeal to fans of Dinosaur Jr. as well as contemporaries Ovlov and Speedy Ortiz. There will also be a showing of the film Wreck-It-Ralph. Facebook event.

Sonny's is having another show the following night, Thursday, during which three sludge/metal bands are performing. I don't know much about Stasis or Finisher, but I do know that members of KYOTY play in The Erotic City Electric Blues Band, so it must be excellent. Don't let this eyesore of a flyer scare you away! The Facebook event can be found here.

Next, there's been a flyer made for the Badfellows, The Pleasure Gap, The Pants show @ Studio 550 (Manchester, NH).

Finally, and most excitingly, Sam Paolini is organizing her second annual Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaare. Wrong Brain is an awesome NH-based zine that showcases some of the most creative art and music from local artisans. This fair should be incredible and I definitely plan on stopping by.

Update: Art Exhibit: Coming of Age - New England Artists Under 30

A little late to this, but the Sharon Arts Center is hosting an exhibit at 30 Grove St (Manchester, NH) called "Coming of Age: New England Artists Under 30" from November 1st until December 28th. The gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-5pm.

From their site:

This year’s participating artists include: Torey Akers, Cara DeAngelis, Chad Creighton, Chloe Feldman Emison, Nathan Gagne, Shaina Gates, Elizabeth Gouin, Samantha Guay, Brett F. Harvey, Blake Hiltunen, Leah Hoyt, Elizabeth Ireland, Erin Jenkins, Sam Johnson, Deborah Koo, Kate Lenahan, Mary Anne McCarthy, Lauren Amalia Redding, Tres Roemer, Walker Roman, Beth Russell, Lauryn Welch.

For more information call the Gallery at (603) 914-7676. 

(Mary Anne McCarthy: Miguel -- Oil on Linen. New Haven, CT -- Courtesy of Sharonarts.org)

WEBSITE

Show Update: Badfellows, Pleasure Gap, Chalk Li, and more

I recently learned about a few more shows happening, which is always a good thing.

For starters, there's a house show this Friday (Black Friday) with Badfellows, The Pleasure Gap, and Foreign Tongues, but it's private so message one of the bands to get the address.

Badfellows plays a folk/alternative mix, not unlike their contemporaries in The Pleasure Gap. Although I've seen The Pleasure Gap play live before (they were fantastic), I've never had the pleasure of seeing Badfellows perform and I'm eager to see how they hold up.

Foreign Tongues, from what I remember, leans more towards the post-hardcore side of things on the alternative spectrum. I'm at work so I can't re-listen but Youth Funeral had the chance to play with this band over the summer and I thought that they (Foreign Tongues, that is) put on an interesting and engaging performance.

Next, there's a second show happening on December 13th. In case you forgot, Timothy Jackson Scott, Chalk Li, Pukey Stevens, and Chelsea Mae are having a performance at Modern Gypsy this same day. If that's not something you're interested in, however, Badfellows, The Pleasure Gap, and The Pants are playing Studio 550. Both venues are in Manchester, NH.

Furthermore, along with writing and recording new material, Youth Funeral is going to be playing a few shows in December and January, so keep your eyes posted for more information about that.

Show Update: Laura Stevenson, Speedy Ortiz, Comma, Notches

I just found out there's a fantastic show happening this Thursday, November 21st at the Durham campus of the University of New Hampshire featuring Laura Stevenson, Speedy Ortiz, Comma, and Notches. I won't be able to make it due to prior obligations but it should be a very enjoyable show!

(Poster courtesy of MUSO UNH)

To be honest, I'm unfamiliar with Laura Stevenson's music. Even after hearing so much about her, I've never gotten around to listening to her work. I'm at work now so I can't listen but I'm sure enough of you are familiar enough with the name to know what she does.

I was introduced to Speedy Ortiz about a year and a half ago by my former roommate. Since then, the fuzzy garage rock band has been making waves in the music scene with frequent exposure on high-profile websites such as Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan and playing alongside fantastic acts such as Pile and Ringo Deathstarr.

Comma is, personally, the band that I anticipate to steal the show. I haven't had the pleasure of listening to or seeing them play in a while but I assume they still continue to play the same exotic and complex math-rock that I originally loved them for. Fans of Hella or Don Caballero will feel right at home here.

Notches has no music available online yet and I have no idea what they sound like. That being said, my friend Ezra plays in this band and if his past musical endeavors (Billy Raygun, Betty Nico) have taught me anything it's that the dude knows how to write catchy songs. Keep posted for an interview with Ezra at some point soon as well.

Band Spotlight: The Brave Little Abacus

Although many people are quick to dismiss New Hampshire as a state that lacks a music scene or one that lacks notable bands, I've found that there are many excellent bands that are oft forgotten about. Unfortunately, the majority of these bands have come and gone, under-appreciated during their existence, yet their absence deeply missed by those who remember them. In an effort to provide some more exposure for these "local legends," per se, I've decided to offer some posts showcasing their music and history, providing a brief spotlight on bands that I think were/are quintessential to the punk music scene here in New Hampshire.

Based on the mutual love that Mike and I have for them, it seems only natural for The Brave Little Abacus to be the first band that is covered.

(Photograph by Richard Gin)

TBLA is a band that was active from about 2008 (I may be incorrect about this) until 2012.

Equal parts off-putting and enticing, TBLA played a strange form of emo that blended everything from chiptune and video game samples to frantic instrumentation and sloppy, carefree vocals. Their frontman, Adam Demirjian, often left listeners divided; while some people are fans of his off-key and whimsical delivery, others (myself included, upon first listen) found it to be too strange for casual listening. This is a band that exploded with energy and was truly ahead of their time; I don't think there will ever be another band that can recreate the sound that this band was capable of.

Thankfully, largely due to the limitlessly connectivity of the internet, I've seen a surge of interest in this band in recent years. As the modern emo community expands to a larger audience and to younger listeners, I've seen more and more people post about this band, upset that they're finished. It's reassuring to see that excellent bands such as this one can live on thanks to the digital realm.

Their final release, Okumay, saw the band leaving on a high note and is the only item in their discography to be pressed as vinyl; Quote/Unquote Records, which is purely donation-based, deserves all the attention they can get for making this physical release a reality.

Here is a video of their final show at the Vic Geary Center. Thankfully, for those of us not fortunate enough to have been present, the video is of excellent quality, both in terms of audio and visuals.

Bands like this one are rare. They don't exist too often and they need to be appreciated while they're around. Adam says something very important in the above video, about fifteen minutes in:

"This show basically had what I think was everyone in this band's dream line-up...it's not that it had, you know, your favorite band of all time, or the greatest five rock bands in terms of guitar technique and nuance, I mean, the Heartbreakers didn't come...but it had every band that we've played with that, over our four-and-a-half/four-and-three-quarters of a year long career, paid attention to us completely outside of the internet, completely outside of the occasional acquaintanceship at a show. What it was was an attention to detail in a friendship that you usually only find in the intimacy in a one-on-one relationship. You can all rent American Hardcore or read Instrument or, you know, read some book by some member of some old DIY band where they talk about community, but you have no idea what it is until you've actually experienced bands calling you on the phone, telling you what they thought of your record, asking you to come over and listen to it with them, and having an actual musical relationship...These are bands we played with because, afterwards, we'd have the most intoxicatingly beautiful conversations that we've had with anyone in our lives…"

Wow.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Demo? (2008) | Download

Split with Matt Aspinwall | Bandcamp (Free Download)

Masked Dancers: concern in so many things you forget where you are | Download

just got back from the discomfort -- we're alright | Download

Okumay | Download | Purchase 7" Vinyl | Quote/Unquote Records

OTHER LINK(S):

Tumblr (Inactive)

In other news, there is a show happening in Manchester, NH at the New Hampshire Institute of Art on November 30th; it's free so there's even more incentive to attend. I'll be there with some of the posters that I mentioned earlier in the week. This is a poster for the event, created by Tyler Soucy (who is also hosting the show):

Old Gray plays music that could most easily be classified as post-hardcore, blending elements of post-rock, hardcore, and "indie" rock (excuse my bastardization of genre classification).

Roosevelt is a band that plays rock music very similar to what you'd expect from bands on labels such as Count Your Lucky Stars, Topshelf Records, etc. Fans are likely familiar: off-kilter vocals, group chants, guitar work that is smooth and features a lot of legato hammer-ons and pulls-offs; standard fare among bands of this ilk. I had the chance to see them open for a show with Calculator and some other bands this past summer and they performed well.

Magnolia Nelson is the band that I'm personally most excited to see here. Part of the recent resurgence of dream-pop bands bursting out of the New England (Massachusetts in particular) music scene, Magnolia Nelson features all the staples of the genre - programmed drums, reverb-drenched vocals, fuzz-driven guitars - and does it well. I'm curious how accurately their recorded sound will translate to a live setting.

Show Update

I recently learned about two shows that are occurring in New Hampshire, although they won't be happening until December. I'll be sure to post about these again once they draw closer.

1) Friday, December 13th, 2013 @ Modern Gypsy (Manchester, NH) 

Chelsea Mae will be having an art display from 6-7pm with live music performed by Timothy Jackson Scott, Chalk Li, and Pukey Stevens afterwards.

Chelsea has a whimsical style that often uses watered down oil or acrylic paints on top of film photography for a stunning effect.

Timothy Jackson Scott is a folk musician from Nashua, NH. With a warm voice that wavers in the right places, his set will surely be intimate and quaint. I couldn't find more information about Pukey Stevens but Chalk Li is a No Guidance band that plays punk in the vein of Title Fight, Basement, or Rival Schools.

(Poster created by Chelsea Mae)

2) Sunday, December 22nd, 2013 @ Sonny's Tavern (Dover, NH) 

Doomriders (MA) and KYOTY will be performing live music at 9pm.

Doomriders play a fantastic style of rock that is heavy, infectious, and sludgy all at the same time. 

KYOTY has been one of my favorite local bands for the past few years; well-written post-rock/post-metal and one of the nicest gear set-ups that I've seen.

There is currently no poster for this event; I will post an update once there is.

Shows in New Hampshire are infrequent so be sure to attend these if you can. Also, the No Guidance Collective is currently planning an event for late December, but we'll post about that once the details are more concrete.

Thanks!